macarons

guest post by steffi, my fiancee. her trip to japan yielded a lot more than japanese delicacies!


Macarons seem like one of the most extravagant purchases ever. One piece that’s roughly the size of 2 stacked Oreo cookies can cost something like 3.9 euros, which is quite an insane price to pay for something that small.

According to those in the know, the best places to get your macarons from are Pierre Hermé and Ladurée, both of which are based in Paris. Unfortunately I live approximately 3000 miles away. So when I found out that there was a Herme branch (its ONLY overseas branch) in Tokyo, I just HAD to make a trip to the store in Shinjuku’s Isetan (which has the best food hall I’ve ever seen).

These fragile-looking structures certainly do not come cheap. I paid 1092 yen (about S$16) for 4 pieces - Arabesque Macha, Bitter Chocolate and Ispahan. Despite appearances they are surprisingly sturdy! I made the mistake of putting the box of macarons in my check-in luggage and when I took it out the box was badly dented on the underside. But the macarons were completely intact.

To be honest, I’d never liked macarons that much. Those I’ve tried in Singapore (which go for a much more affordable S$2 each) are usually too thin and too sweet. Herme has succeeded in converting me into a fan though. His macarons have the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness and are packed with various creams (depending on the flavour), making them thick and chewy. The most difficult part about making a macaron is said to be its shell, which is supposed to be EXTREMELY thin. Herme’s is delicate and thin enough to allow me to appreciate this skill, while thick enough to add texture to the macaron so that it doesn’t end up tasting like a lump of cream.

The first one I tried was the Arabesque, which is a blend of apricot and pistachio. I must say that I never expected these ingredients to complement each other (in fact it kind of sounds like something too adventurous to work). Herme’s creation was packed with the cream, with an extra layer of apricot jam right smack in the middle. I particularly enjoyed biting through the jam, as it was pleasantly hard (providing more texture) and its tanginess gave the macaron an extra kick. (Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the inside of the macaron .)

Since I was in Japan, I HAD to buy the macha (green tea)-flavoured macaron. Unfortunately this one was rather disappointing. It was a tad too sweet, and there was a mysterious white layer in the middle (which tasted like marzipan). Probably better than the macarons you’d get in Singapore, but it certainly didn’t meet the high expectations of Herme after that wonderful Arabesque I had the day before. And more importantly, IT DID NOT TASTE LIKE GREEN TEA. AT ALL. There was no hint of Macha whatsoever! It tasted pleasant, yes, but not authentic.

The next one I had was Bitter Chocolate. This one consisted of a chocolate shell, which contained a thick layer of chocolate cream and chocolate jam (at least that’s what the texture felt like) in its core. Despite the name, it was hardly bitter; More like a semi-sweet (verging on sweet) chocolate paste. A safe and simple choice that proved rewarding.

For my last macaron, I tried the Ispahan rose, which has been hailed as Herme’s most famous creation- and boy did it not fail to disappoint! The scent of roses was evident even before I bit into the striking pink creation, and the taste lingered in my mouth long after I’d swallowed that first bite. Apparently it’s quite difficult to bring out the taste of roses (or any other flower, it seems) in food but Herme has succeded in doing so. You don’t get a hint of Ispahan, you get the full blast which is really fantastic. I think I took the longest to eat this one because I spent such a long time savouring the last vestiges of that taste of rose after every bite. It was unique, yet comforting. If you are only planning to buy one macaron (though how could you travel so far but only buy ONE?!) this is the one to get.

Be warned though, that these macarons tend to spoil quite quickly, with about a 5-day time limit from the date of purchase. So I wouldn’t recommend buying a huge box of 35 for yourself, unless you plan to have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.


more pictures soon to follow!


and hopefully a recipe for macaroons sometime soon (: if i try them out!